The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) has granted the wishes of the Whistler Valley Housing Society (WVHS), and altered the housing agreement it has in place for its new worker housing project.
The new housing agreement that received three readings at a May 24 special council meeting addressed four changes requested by the WVHS in March that would allow it more flexibility across its two properties in Whistler.
The new, soon-to-be completed project at 1400 Mount Fee Road is a 30-unit building the WVHS wants to make available to essential-service workers. The WVHS is a separate entity to the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA).
The RMOW’s manager of planning John Chapman ran through the changes, explaining under the new agreement for 1400 Mount Fee Road, “essential-service workers” now include social service agency workers, pharmacists and veterinarians as qualified applicants for the units. According to the initial letter from the WVHS requesting the changes, the addition of these workers was at the behest of feedback from employers.
The three new types of workers are in addition to a long list that already includes medical workers, paramedics and ambulance workers, Whistler RCMP, Whistler Fire Rescue, utilities workers and road maintenance staff, teachers, daycare workers and transit bus drivers.
Another change allows employers of those essential-service workers to secure a unit themselves, and sub-lease the units to qualified workers.
The cap on the number of units available to essential service workers was also removed. Initially, it was 15 of the 30, and now it can be all units.
The building is expected to be complete in July 2024.
A final change requested by the WVHS, and allowed by the RMOW, was to permit up to 10 units at 1400 Mount Fee Drive to be occupied by existing tenants of the WVHS’ other property at 2178 Sarajevo Drive who are “overhoused” should they wish to move.
The existing building at Sarajevo Drive is made up of 20 three-bedroom townhouses, and according to the WVHS, some are under-utilized by families with children that have since moved out. If they qualified as essential workers, those existing tenants could apply to move to the new building without going through a waitlist. Existing tenants at 2178 will not be forced to move. Sarajevo residents have to be full-time employees working for a qualified Whistler business, but they do not have to be essential-service workers.
Chapman said the amendments met the requests of the WVHS while staying true to other agreements and covenants in place for the land, noting there was a final change that added a layer of oversight for the RMOW: The municipality will require the WVHS provide a statutory declaration informing the municipality on who will be living at 1400 Mount Fee Road prior to a tenancy agreement being signed.
During questions, Councillor Cathy Jewett—who also sits on the WVHS board as the board chair—queried whether the statutory declaration would be required for tenants of every unit, to which she was told yes.
In the housing agreement bylaw, the justification for a statutory declaration for every unit was explained as a way for the RMOW to ensure the WVHS was complying with the housing agreement and only renting units to qualified workers. The bylaw also allows the municipality to make requests for statutory declarations “from time to time,” together with any additional information.
“[The WVHS] hereby irrevocably authorizes the Municipality to make such inquiries as it considers necessary and reasonable to confirm that [the WVHS] is complying with this Agreement, and irrevocably authorizes and directs the recipient of such a request for information from the Municipality to provide the requested information to the Municipality,” reads the bylaw.
“Additional evidence” the RMOW can request includes letters of employment, ICBC vehicle insurance and registration, government-issued personal identification, income-tax returns and notices of assessment, wills, grants of probate or grants of administration, pay statements or records of employment, verification of educational enrolment, separation agreements, insurance certificates for homeowners or tenants insurance, and declarations from sponsor social service agencies.
A communications official with the RMOW told Pique the statutory declarations were required to ensure the people living in the units are eligible, and are a standard requirement for Whistlers employee-housing units.
"The 1400 Mount Fee Road statutory declaration makes sure these units can be affordable homes for essential services workers (such as paramedics, bus drivers and daycare workers), as well as for people referred by social service agencies such as Whistler Community Services Society," the said in an email.
They added the RMOW could also request statutory declarations from the Whistler Housing Authority for the same purpose.
At the May 24 meeting, Jewett also gave an update on the 1400 Mount Fee Road building, saying there were a total of six units not spoken for as of May 24: Five one-bedroom units, and one two-bedroom unit of the 30 in the building. Applications opened in March.
Coun. Jessie Morden asked whether small businesses such as restaurants could enter into leases so they could secure housing for their workers, but Chapman said only employers of essential-service workers as laid out in the housing agreement could do so, and small businesses not listed did not qualify.
They are unlikely to sit vacant however; Chapman later explained if the vacant units are not filled by workers that qualify under the WVHS housing agreement, they will be opened up to the WHA waitlist. If they are not occupied after the WHA waitlist is exhausted, they will open up to other qualified employees within Whistler.
Councillors present unanimously approved the motion to give the housing agreement first three readings. It will come back for adoption at a future regular council meeting.
The WVHS previously reported 1400 Mount Fee Drive has a projected move-in date of July 1.
